‘Give the Gift of Love to Asian Children in Foster Care in Los Angeles’

Korean American Family Services (KFAM) will be hosting its third annual Christmas gift drive for Asian foster children throughout the month of November.

The gifts and donations will be collected from November 1 to December 10, and the gifts will be given to the foster children at a Christmas party on December 21.

Social workers who meet with the children on a regular basis have been asking them what they would like for Christmas from Santa Claus.

Last year, some items that were included in wishlists were Legos, Barbie dolls, teddy bears, and other toys, as well as colored pencils, journals, notebooks, soccer balls, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, and other items. Some children asked for gift cards to certain stores such as Walmart, Target, and TJ Maxx, while others even included specific sizes and measurements for the items they wanted.

“For the past two years, members of the Korean community have extended their warm hearts to prepare gifts that the children wanted. There were some at the Christmas party who attended a Christmas party for the very first time in their lives,” said KFAM executive director Connie Chung Joe.

“I hope that many Korean Americans will once again be the Santa Claus for many of these foster children who are not losing hold of their dreams in the midst of their trials.”

Each donation is 50 dollars, and those who would like to contribute can do so by sending a check or giving online via credit card.

According to KFAM, 34,648 foster children were listed as living in foster homes through the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services (LADCFS) in the month of September. Among those in foster homes, 683 are Asian children, and 40 are Korean children who cannot speak English.